The axeman stood frozen at the entrance, his eyes darting between Aria, the pulsating green slime, and the faint smear of blood on the stone floor.
His expression twisted in confusion first then became horror and anger.
The swordsman was nowhere to be found.
He had followed them here intending to watch the swordsman torment Aria like he always did.
But instead of something lewd, he found something impossible.
The swordsman was nowhere. Only Aria… and a slime.
"What—"
He didn't even finish the word.
Before he could draw breath or raise his axe, the slime sprang toward him with blinding speed.
The axeman's instincts honed from years of battle kicked in instantly. He threw up one arm in a reflexive guard.
The slime latched onto his forearm with a wet slap.
"AAARGHHH!"
His scream tore down the stone corridor as pain exploded through his arm.
The slime burrowed into his flesh immediately, melting skin and muscle in seconds.
Aria flinched at the sound, but she understood instantly.
This was her chance. Her only chance.
Heart pounding, she lunged forward and swung her staff with both hands.
The wooden shaft cracked against the axeman's skull with a brutal thud.
His eyes rolled back. His legs buckled and he collapsed onto the ground, dazed and unmoving.
The slime reacted instantly, sensing opportunity.
It surged up his arm, over his shoulder, and wrapped itself around his head.
The axeman's muffled groans lasted only moments before falling silent.
Then his body went still.
Aria staggered back, breathing hard, her hands trembling around her staff. Fear, adrenaline, and a bitter and dark satisfaction churned together inside her.
Another one of her tormentors was gone.
She exhaled shakily, relief washing over her.
Meanwhile, the slime pulsed brighter as it fed.
It devoured the axeman's head quickly, its body swelling and rippling as power surged through its core.
A sharp internal tremor ran through it accompanied by a familiar voice.
[Evolution 567 / 1,000]
It had reached halfway to its metamorphosis after consuming two humans.
A soft green glow radiated from its body, filling half the chamber with eerie light.
Then a new message echoed inside its being—the reward for devouring a new species.
[You have gained a new skill: Predator's Leap]
Predator's Leap
Tier: 2
Mana Cost: 5 mana per leap
Description:
A powerful jumping technique that allows the user to launch themselves forward with explosive speed and force. Excellent for surprise attacks or closing distance instantly.
The bowman arrived moments later, storming in with an enraged expression and a dagger raised in his hand.
"What the hell is going on here?! What did that little bitch do now?!" he barked.
He stepped into the chamber, and froze.
The bodies of his comrades the swordsman were gone and the axeman lay motionless, while Aria stood pale and trembling.
And a quivering green slime glowing in the dim light on the axeman's head.
The slime sensed him instantly.
With a sharp, violent recoil of its body, it launched forward using its newly gained skill.
Predator's Leap!
The bowman, who was quicker and more skilled than the other two fighters, reacted fast. He swung his dagger with its blade slick with poison straight at the incoming slime.
But the slime had already developed resistance to poison and the blade didn't slow it at all.
Instead, the powerful force of the leap struck the dagger clean out of his hand and snapping two of his fingers in the process.
"Ghh—!!"
Despite the pain, the bowman didn't hesitate.
He had more tricks than the others.
He clenched his jaw, chanted the spell in his mind, and opened his mouth.
Fire Breath!
Flames roared out in a sudden blast, scorching the slime and burning his own hand in the process.
At this point, his injuries didn't matter. This creature was eating through his flesh, and he needed to get it off him no matter what as quickly as possible!
The burst of fire flung the slime across the chamber.
It slammed hard into the stone wall, its membrane blistering and bubbling from the heat.
Physical attacks couldn't hurt it. But magic did and now it was burning.
The slime writhed violently on the ground, convulsing as its surface smoked. It had no mouth so it couldn't scream when the agony was unmistakable.
It twitched weakly in pain.
The bowman grimaced through his own pain, staring at it with shock.
How? How could a slime do something like this?
Slimes were supposed to be the weakest dungeon fodder. Barely worth fighting for.
But this one… This one was fast and strong. This one planned attacks and he was pretty sure this one killed his friends.
Just what kind of monster was this?
The slime's movements slowed.
Its convulsions stopped. Its shape sagged, its membrane blackened and sagging.
It was dying.
Then a soft, faint green glow drifted over it. It was a thread of healing mana.
The flames faded, leaving charred marks across its body that slowly began to knit and repair.
Aria stood a few meters beside it, her hands trembling, her staff glowing weakly as she poured every last drop of her mana into the spell.
She was healing the slime.
The bowman's eyes widened in disbelief as he watched Aria's healing light flow not toward him, but toward the slime.
"You! what the hell are you doing, bitch?! You're supposed to heal me!" he shouted, voice cracking with rage and panic.
Aria didn't answer.
Her hands were shaking, but she kept channeling her spell into the slime.
The slime turned slightly, its quivering form focusing on Aria.
For the first time, it felt… something other than hunger and anger.
It didn't have a word for the feeling yet, but the warmth of her mana stirred something deep within its core. Something that pushed it to move again despite the pain still burning through its body.
The slime still hurts. Its membrane was scorched and trembling.
But the moment Aria's healing touched it, its body bubbled with renewed strength.
And so, without hesitation, the slime coiled its body and launched forward.
Predator's Leap!
The bowman had no time to react.
The slime smashed into his face with explosive force.
He screamed, clawing desperately at the slick, dissolving surface, but his fingers slipped uselessly through the gelatin.
His kicks weakened. His screams turned into muffled gurgles.
Then, after only a few violent seconds, his body went limp.
He collapsed onto the stone floor. Dead.
—